Running USA wire 73, September 7, 2009

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - (September 7, 2009) - Brett Gotcher (Flagstaff, Ariz.) was top man in a three-way battle for the men's national title Monday at the USA 20K Championships in New Haven as four-time Olympian Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.) took control before halfway to win the women's crown. Gotcher was timed in 58 minutes, 57 seconds (#4 U.S. all-time individual - tie), while the evergreen De Reuck ran 1:07:21, a Masters world record. At 45, De Reuck is the oldest woman to win a major U.S. championship.

At the 32nd Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race, a Labor Day tradition, defending U.S. champion James Carney (Boulder, Colo.) led the early stages of the race, taking a pack of 12 men through the first mile in 4:34. By three miles, the lead pack was reduced to four men with Carney still in control and Gotcher, Mohamed Trafeh (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Jason Lehmkuhle (Minneapolis, Minn.) following closely.

At five miles, Carney was still in command of the pace with Gotcher, 25, falling off the pack. As the leaders approached six miles, Gotcher (left, PhotoRun) rejoined the group and at 10K, Trafeh made a move that would drop Carney from the lead pack, making it a three man race for the title.

From seven miles on, Gotcher, Trafeh and Lehmkuhle would each take turns at the lead with Trafeh surging to the front to open small gaps on occasion. Just past nine miles, the three remained within a stride of each other as Trafeh and Lehmkuhle seemed to be well within their comfort zone.

At 12 miles however, it was Gotcher who surged to the lead, dropping Lehmkuhle as Trafeh held on. Entering the final 100 meters, Gotcher had one more gear and pulled away for a four second win and his first national crown.

Lehmkuhle held third in 59:04 as Andrew Carlson (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Scott Bauhs (Danville, Calif.) rounded out the top five in 59:26 and 59:46, respectively.

In the women's race, 2008 Olympic Marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.), took an early lead, passing the first mile four seconds ahead of the women's field in 5:18. By three miles she had a 12 second lead when Serena Burla (Baldwin, Mo.) began to press the pace of the chase pack, bringing De Reuck with her.

By five miles De Reuck had dropped Burla and overtook Boulet to cruise to a 17 second win, earning her second USA 20K title (also 2002). Runner-up Burla was timed in 1:07:38 with Boulet taking third (1:08:11). Rebecca Donaghue (State College, Pa.) and Amy Hastings (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) finished fourth and fifth in 1:08:39 and 1:08:58, respectively.

In addition, the top 14 men earned automatic invitations to the USA Men's Marathon Championship which will be held at the ING New York City Marathon on November 1, because they broke 1:01:30. USATF and New York Road Runners designated New Haven as an additional one-day qualifying window for the national championship, provided athletes ran at least 1:01:30.

The USA 20K Championship was also the seventh stop on the 2009 USA Running Circuit (USARC) and paid $40,000 in U.S. prize money with $8000 each for the national champions.

The 2009 USARC, a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The 2009 USARC has ten events each for men and women. Lewy Boulet currently tops the women's standings with 59 points, while Anthony Famiglietti (Knoxville, Tenn.) leads the men with 39 points.

32nd Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race: USA 20K Championship
New Haven, CT, Monday, September 7, 2009

MEN
1) Brett Gotcher (AZ), 58:57, $8000
2) Mohamed Trafeh (AZ), 59:01, $4500
3) Jason Lehmkuhle (MN), 59:04, $2500
4) Andrew Carlson (AZ), 59:26, $1500
5) Scott Bauhs (CA), 59:46, $1000
6) Jason Hartman (OR), 59:52, $700
7) Fasil Bizuneh (AZ), 1:00:00, $600
8) Seth Pilkington (UT), 1:00:07, $500
9) James Carney (CO), 1:00:21, $400
10) Lucas Meyer (CT), 1:00:36, $300

WOMEN
1) Colleen De Reuck, 45, CO, 1:07:21, $8000
2) Serena Burla (MO), 1:07:38, $4500
3) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (CA), 1:08:11, $2500
4) Rebecca Donaghue (PA), 1:08:39, $1500
5) Amy Hastings (CA), 1:08:58, $1000
6) Kristen Nicolini Lehmkuhle (MN), 1:09:06, $700
7) Elva Dryer (CO), 1:10:09, $600
8) Jill Swope (GA), 1:10:22, $500
9) Sheri Piers (ME), 1:10:43, $400
10) Ilsa Paulson (NY), 1:11:11, $300

Full results at: www.newhavenroadrace.org

Kusoro, Desco world champions; Megan Morgan earns individual Junior silver; U.S. Senior women team bronze

MADESIMO, Italy - (September 6, 2009) - The 25th running of the World Mountain Running Championships were held under clear and crisp blue skies with temperatures in the upper 50s for the start of the competition on Sunday. The venue was in the winter ski village of Madesimo, Italy, located three hours by bus from Milan. The course was lined with fans not only from the host country, but with worldwide fans. The sound of ringing cowbells and pulsating air horns filled the air. A total of thirty-five countries were represented in the four races.

The Junior women started the day with a single lap of the 4.3K course. The runners were tested with steep climbs and some rocky sections on the descents. The terrain was a mixture of grass, packed dirt trail and grassy sections with some rocks and roots to keep the athletes focused on their footing. In order to run well the athletes would have to be strong climbers, fearless descenders and able to transition between the various grades.

Megan Morgan, 17, Del Mar, CA, was the first U.S. athlete of the day to cross the finish line, earning a silver medal - the best individual Junior finish following last year's bronze medal by Californian Alex Dunne. Turkey's Can Yasemin won the gold medal 22 minutes, 18 seconds with Morgan just 17 seconds back. Angelica Mach of Poland was the bronze medalist in 22:56. Robyn Arnold, 16, Redlands, CA, rounded out the U.S. scoring taking 23rd in 25:39. Alex Dent, 17, Scott Depot, WV, was unable to finish after taking a spill on a road crossing approximately two miles into the race. In all, 42 Juniors (at least 16 in the year of competition and not yet 20) completed the course.

Turkey captured the Junior girls team title with five points (the top two finishers on the team count in the scoring). Romania placed runner-up with 13 points and Poland finished in bronze medal position with 20 points. The next three teams were all separated by just one point. Team USA finished in seventh position with 25 points. A total of 14 full teams competed in the Junior women's division. This was the second best finish for the Junior girls trailing only the 2007 team that took the silver.

Morgan was beaming when she accepted her award at the post-race flower ceremony immediately following her finish, "We got our medals and then when we left the podium they took them back from us. I was a bit worried that I wouldn't see my medal again, and then I then realized we'd get them back at the awards ceremony in the evening."

Morgan also told her Mom, who accompanied her to Italy, that the race was one of the best she'd ever done.

The Junior men were up next, with two circuits and 8.6K to complete. The teams from Turkey and Italy had a close battle with Italian Xavier Chevier taking a decisive victory, crossing the line in 38:26 nearly a minute up on his closest challenger. Turkish teammates Mzaffer Bayram and Alper Demir, took second and third respectively in 39:22 and 39:32. Nineteen seconds later Brandon Lord, 17, Hixson, TN, crossed the line after running a controlled race starting in ninth position and moving to eighth after the first loop and picking off other competitors to move up in the standings. Lord bettered Tim Smith's fifth place from 2008 and is now the all-time top placing U.S. Junior man. This is all the more impressive as this was Brandon's first mountain race. Dan Nafziger, 18, Harrisonburg, VA and Brian Rooney, 19, Arlington, VA were the next two U.S. finishers closing out the team scoring in 39th and 41st places respectively. They finished 12 seconds apart in 44:11 and 44:23. Tim Smith, 19, Roanoke, VA, took 55th place in 46:10 in the field of 68 finishers.

Turkey was the top Junior boys team with 14 points (three runners score) with Italy just two points back. Great Britain took home the bronze with 52 points. The U.S. team finished 8th among the 17 countries; the 8th place finish ties the second best all-time (2006).

The Senior women were the third to compete over two loops of the course which featured 1,800' of climb and descent. Average grades on the climb were 20% and 10% on the descent. The U.S. women ran packed tightly together passing through the first lap with the four athletes each in the top 20. That grouping would not change by the finish with all four crossing within 48 seconds. Elisa Desco (43:39), Valentina Belotti (44:04) and Maria Grazia Roberti (44:23) all used their "home field advantage" to lead Italy to a total domination of the team scoring (three runners score) with a perfect score of 6 points.

For the USA, Brandy Erholtz, 32, Bailey, CO, led the way finishing tenth in 45:23 and followed by Christine Lundy, 39, Sausalito, CA, (45:41) 13th; Megan Kimmel, 29, Silverton, CO, (45:46) 15th and Megan Lund, 25, Basalt, CO, (46:11) 17th who earned the bronze medal with 38 points. They finished 16 points behind the silver medal squad from Great Britain. The third place finish trails only the two gold medal finishes of 2006 and 2007. There were 69 finishers representing 14 countries.

The final race of the day was the Senior men's three grueling circuits of the course, all between 5,000' and 6,300'. The African teams moved to the front in the early going. Geoffrey Kusoro of Uganda forged a 54 second lead by the end, crossing the line in 54:51. Azerya Teklag Weldemariam of Eritrea took the silver in 55:45 with the final medal by James Kibet of Uganda in 55:54.

The U.S. team was led by former Junior team member (12th place 2006) Andrew Benford, 21, Roanoke, VA. He moved into the top 15 and passed teammate Joe Gray, 25, Lakewood, WA with approximately a mile to go. Benford placed 13th in 58:09 with Gray finishing 16th in 58:43. The final four team members all finished in a tight pack in places 42, 46, 47 and 48, with only 12 seconds separating them. Matt Byrne, 34, Scranton, PA and Zac Freudenberg, 31, St. Louis, MO were the scoring members in 1:01:26 and 1:01:34 in a field that featured 138 finishers. Rickey Gates, 28, Boulder, CO and Tim Parr, 27, Gunnison, CO crossed seconds later in 1:01:36 and 1:01:38.

The men's team competition was won by Eritrea with 24 points with Italy second (39 points) and Turkey rounding out the medals with 75 points. The U.S. men finished in sixth with 117 points.

25th World Mountain Running Championship
Campodolcino e Madesimo, ITA, Sunday, September 6, 2009

SENIOR MEN - 12.9K
1) Geoffrey Kusoro (UGA), 54:51, Gold
2) Azerya Teklag Weldemariam (ERI), 55:45, Silver
3) James Kibet (UGA), 55:54, Bronze
U.S.
13) Andrew Benford (USA), 58:09
16) Joe Gray (USA), 58:43
42) Matt Byrne (USA), 1:01:26
46) Zac Freudenberg (USA), 1:01:34
47) Rickey Gates (USA), 1:01:36
48) Tim Parr (USA), 1:01:38

TEAM (top four score)
1) Eritrea, 24 points
2) Italy, 39
3) Turkey, 75
6) USA, 117

SENIOR WOMEN - 8.6K
1) Elisa Desco (ITA), 43:39, Gold
2) Valentina Belotti (ITA), 44:04, Silver
3) Maria Grazia Roberti (ITA), 44:23, Bronze
U.S.
10) Brandy Erholtz (USA), 45:23
13) Christine Lundy (USA), 45:41
15) Megan Kimmel (USA), 45:46
17) Megan Lund (USA), 46:11

TEAM (top three score)
1) Italy, 6 points
2) Great Britain, 22
3) USA, 38

Complete results at: www.wmrc2009.org

Kenya's William Chebor takes men's title; Ethiopians sweep 1-2-3 in women's race

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - (September 6, 2009) - Junior half-marathon world record holder Abebu Gelan (left), 19, led a sweep of the women's professional race, leading Ethiopia to victory in the first International Team Challenge at the 9th Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach on Sunday morning. Countrywomen Tiki Gelana and Meseret Mengistu finished second and third. The Ethiopian women were ably supported by second and third place finishes by their teammates Feyisa Lilesa and Zenbaba Yigeze in the men's professional race behind race winner William Chebor of Kenya.

The Ethiopian total of eight points, in the low-score format, was easily better than the 21 points compiled by the Japanese squad in second place. Kenya with 24 points finished in third place, but their chances all but disappeared when defending women's champion Edith Masai was hit by a hamstring pull in the first mile, forcing her to jog, rather than race the 13.1-mile distance.

"The youth of Ethiopia prevailed today," said FSN TV commentator Toni Reavis. "When Masai went out early, the Kenyans had no one to step into the breach. But notwithstanding, the Ethiopian performance should not be discounted. They ran beautifully as a team, and were worthy champions."

The professional women started 15 minutes ahead of the men and the 20,000 regular runners in front of the Virginia Beach Convention Center on 19th Street. Even under near ideal conditions, the women began conservatively with a 6:00 first mile. They formed up into a nine-woman lead pack after a 5:42 second mile, with all three Ethiopians joined by the four-woman Japanese team, 2006-07 champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya and Europe's top woman Daniela Cirlan of Romania.

The professional men began their journey as aggressively as if catching the lead women were their task. Led by Ethiopian's Yigeze and Lilesa, they hit 4:41 for mile one, then strung together five consecutive mid-4:30 miles, putting the 2005 course record of 1:00:42 in jeopardy. At mile four, the race turned into a two man duel, with Lilesa, the 19-year-old from Ethiopia joined by Chebor, who earlier this year won the Azkoitia Half Marathon in Spain. Each tried unsuccessfully to drop the other in a series of punishing surges as the route turned to the backside of the course from miles five through nine.

"This was as no holds barred of a competition as we've seen in a long time," said FSN color man Todd Williams, a two-time Olympian. "The surges were all out blasts. It was hard to believe they were racing a half-marathon."

Up ahead the lead women remained together in a pack of six, having passed 10K in 35:35, with the three young Ethiopians and Japanese still holding their fire. It would remain so until the final sprint up the famed oceanfront boardwalk when Gelan edged away for the win in 1 hour, 13 minutes, 43 seconds, followed closely by Gelana and Mengistu. The Japanese duo of Hiroko Miyauchi and Yumi Hirata trailed behind in fourth and fifth.

The men's competition finally broke as the course looped back along General Booth Boulevard just past nine miles. For maybe the tenth time in the race Chebor surged ahead, and this time Lilesa could not cover the move.

"The course was very nice, I like the Rock 'n' Roll," said Chebor. "All the other runners on the course were cheering and it made me go."

With victory assured, Chebor held his lead to the finish line in 1:01:29, while Lilesa followed in 1:02:15, with Yigeze in third (1:03:24). Chebor trains with 2002 Virginia Beach champion and former marathon world record holder Paul Tergat. Chebor also was coming off his debut marathon in Australia this July, a 2:11 victory at the Gold Coast Marathon.

Cele Rodriguez was the top American male, finishing in tenth at 1:05:17. Veena Reddy, from Virginia was the top American female, also finishing tenth with a time of 1:20:11. Europe and the U.S. tied for fourth in the team competition with 42 points.

In its first year, the team challenge matched five countries competing cross-country style for a $10,000 first place prize. Points were awarded on the basis of finishing place, the Ethiopian team, with the lowest score of 8 total points, was declared the winner.

The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon will celebrate its tenth running in Virginia Beach on September 5, 2010.

9th Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
Virginia Beach, VA, Sunday, September 6, 2009

MEN
1) William Chebor (KEN), 1:01:29
2) Feyisa Lilesa (ETH), 1:02:15
3) Zembaba Yigezu (ETH), 1:03:24
4) Samuel Ndereba (KEN), 1:03:50
5) Noritaka Fijiyama (JPN), 1:03:50

WOMEN
1) Abebu Gelan (ETH), 1:13:43
2) Tiki Gelana (ETH), 1:13:45
3) Meseret Mengistu (ETH), 1:13:46
4) Hiroko Miyauchi (JPN), 1:13:52
5) Yumi Hirata (JPN), 1:13:56

International Team Challenge
1) Ethiopia, 8 points, $10,000
2) Japan, 21
3) Kenya, 24
4) USA, 42
4) Europe, 42

More results at: www.rnrvb.com

Field of nearly 12,000 runs through Disneyland and streets of Anaheim; more than 1,700 earn Coast to Coast Challenge medals

ANAHEIM, Calif. - (September 6, 2009) - Jaeyung Hyung, 38, of Las Cruces, N.M., celebrated his first-place finish at the fourth Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday, crossing the finish line with a time of 1 hour, 10 minutes, 44 seconds to lead the estimated field of nearly 12,000 participants.

"I really enjoyed running the race here," Hyung said. "There were so many people, and Disney made it a lot of fun."

Placing overall second was Benjamin Gomez-Gutierrez, 32, of Jalos, Mexico in 1:12:46 and Dennis Hong, 17, of Chino Hills, Calif., finished third (1:13:10).

Mandy Grantz, 23, of Pasadena, Calif., was the women's race champion in 1:26:00. Grantz, a second-year graduate student at California Institute of Technology, was running her first Disneyland Half Marathon.

"I've never been the winner of any race before," Grantz said. "And I've never been to Disneyland before, so running through the parks was so much fun."

The women's runner-up was Stacy Schafer, 42, of Carlsbad, Calif. with a time of 1:26:32, while Angela Bestwick, 33, of Las Vegas, Nev., took third place in 1:28:06.

Kevin Broady, 47, of Orange, Calif., earned a notable Masters division (age 40+) victory for the second year in a row and a fourth overall with his 1:13:25. Edith Martinez, 41, of Brea, Calif. was the top women's Masters division finisher in 1:27:33.

In the men's wheelchair division, Scott Parson, 50, of San Jose, Calif., crossed the finish line first with a time of 48:55. There were no participants in the women's wheelchair division this year.

Approximately 13,500 runners from 50 states and 13 countries registered for the magical 13.1-mile Disneyland Half Marathon this year, putting the race at full capacity. The field included first-time half marathoners as well as veteran runners. The course traveled through two Disneyland Resort theme parks and along Anaheim streets with landmarks such as the Honda Center and the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, while Disney characters and festive entertainment inspired them along the way.

Runners who completed the half-marathon received a commemorative Sleeping Beauty Castle medal, the signature medal of the Disneyland Half Marathon and one in the Disney's Endurance Series collection.

The second annual Coast to Coast Challenge Race medal was presented to approximately 1,751 runners who completed the Walt Disney World Marathon, Half Marathon or Disney's Princess Half Marathon this year at Walt Disney World Resort and then also completed the Disneyland Half Marathon. The Coast to Coast medal showcases the iconic "Partners Statue" of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

The Half Marathon is just one of 11 weekend events that make up the Disney's Endurance Series, which gives recreational athletes of all ages and abilities the chance to walk, jog, run, bike and swim their way "around the world." From running marathons to road races and triathlons, participating athletes at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World compete to stay in shape, achieve personal-best times and raise donations for charitable causes.

The 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend is scheduled for September 3-5, with the Half Marathon being held on Sunday, September 5.

Visit www.disneylandhalfmarathon.com for more information or to view complete searchable race results.